Automobile-lock



.l. H. SCOTT.

AUTOMOBILE LOCK. APPLICATION FILED cm. 7, I9l9.

1,360,692, Patented Nov. 30, 1920.

INVENTOR Z9 Jasnw H 5667-7 W mi UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH H. SCOTT, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMOBILE-LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedNov. 30, 1920.

Application filed October 7, 1919. Serial No. 329,096.

Improvements in Automobile-Locks, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an automobile lock and particularly pertains to means whereby the steering mechanism of an automobile is held against operation.

Due to an insistent demand by the automobile trade for a simple lock which will effectively secure a vehicle in a manner to prevent it from being driven away by unauthorized persons numerous contrivances have been provided which act to secure various portions of the operating mechanism of the vehicle and the running gears thereof.

It is the principal object of the present in vention to provide a device which is in-.

tended to meet the requirements as above mentioned, and which device is decidedly simple in its operationand construction and maybe instantly applied to the steering column of an automobile, to lock the steering post against rotation, or may be readily removed from said column to permit free rotation of the shaft when desired, said lock being fitted with a suitable key controlled mechanism which insures that it cannot be removed from the steering columnwhen set in its locked position.

The present. invention contemplates the use of a hinged shackle carrying a lock pin which'is adapted to protrude through the outer steering column and the wall of the steering post, to lock them against move ment in relation to each other, said shackle encompassing the steering column and its free ends being held by a suitable keylook mechanism.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a view in plan, showing a steering column and its shaft in section, and further disclosing the application of the present invention thereto.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view in side elevation, showing portions of the steering column and the lock applied thereto, more clearly showing the position of the barrel lock structure.-

Fig. 3 is a view in elevation, showing the lock in another view.

sired to lock the vehicle. I tion is produced by a pin 14 which is in- Fig. 4 is a view in central, vertical sec-. tion through the lock and steering column, showing the manner in which the steering column and steering post are locked against rotation.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary View of the lock shackle, shown partly in section, and disclosing the manner in which the two free ends of the shackle are held by the lock mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a view in transverse section through the lock on line 6-6 of Fig. 5, as seen in the direction'of the arrow.

Fig. 7 is another view'of the lock barrel shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a transverse section through the lock structure, as seen in the direction of arrow 8 in Fig. 5.

Fig. 9 is a view showing a schematic arrangement of the parts of the lock in the manner in which they are assembled.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 10 indicates the steering post of an automobile, which post telescopes within an outer steering column. or casing 11.- It is understood that in the ordinary automobile construction, the post 10 is' formed at its lower end with a crank member and is secured at its upper end to a steering wheel by which structure the crank may be manipulated. The steering column is normally secured to the dashboard of the vehicle and provides a bearing at its upper end for the wheel. As the steering column is normally fixed in relation to the vehicle body, it will be evident that by locking the steering post in relation thereto, the steering mechanism may be held and the running gear of the vehicle placed out of control by the steering wheel.

In the present instance this is done by boring a hole 12 through the steering post and a hole 13 through the steering column, these holes being in register when it is de- The locking actended to extend through these two holes when they are in register. The pin 14 is carried by asemi-circular shackle member 15, which combines with another shackle member 16 to form a complete circular shackle adapted to embrace the steering column. These two shackle members 15 and 16 are hinged together by a pin 17. Their-opposite ends are adapted to swing free when desired and-may be locked in'relation each other by a suitable barrel lock 18. The shackle member carries thepin 1 1 at a point midway its circumferential length and extending radially therefrom. The shackle member 15 is also formed at its free end with I w1ll be understood that the steering post 1s an enlarged cylindrical boss 19, into which thebarrldock 18"i's seated. The boss c tends with its central, longitudinal axis magential to the circumference of the shackle, as more clearly shown in Fig. 5 of the draw.-

'ingsn Upon-the free end of the shackle member 16 is a bolt 20, which is formed with i a hook and is' adap'ted to project into the hollow portion of the boss 19 to there be locked 'bythe mechanism closed thereby. The boss 19; is iormed with an end wall 21,- having} a central opening 22 therethrough;

I This opening is provided to-accommodate the belt or tongue 20, which is projected therethroughand into engagement with the lock.-

' v i i It will be :noted that the opening 22 is T counterbored, as indicated at 23, an'dreceives a reduced shoulder portion 241 formed upon the freeend of the member 16. This forms a joint which it would bevery hard for a person to break open and which would act to prevent a chisel from being inserted between the-free ends of the shackle members 15 and 16 to cut the bolt20 in two. 7 "Reference being had to Figs. 5 to 9 inclu:

sive, the'lo'ck=structure will be readily understood: It will be seen that the barrel 18 is inserted within the boss 19 andis there secured by :a screw; 25, which is placedin' position: from the inside of the shackle member 15 and will thus be completely concealed when the'lo'ck is 'in itsposition upon the steering column. Mounted upon the barrel is a cam member 26, which carries an eccentrically disposed projection27. This member is adapted to-b'e rotated against a catch bolt28, which isslidableacross the end 21' ofthe bossed portion within which the barrel is inclosed; This bolt, as shown in Fig. 9,is formed witha main body portion moving transversely of the barrel, and an. ex-

tending portion29,-which=is at right angles tothe' body portion and against which the protruding end27ofthe cam 26 is adapted to strike, this action being more clearly shown in Fig. 8. The bolt is held in its path oftravel'by means ota guide member 30,

' which is mounted within the end of the barrel and registers with the catch bolt 28 in themannershown in Fig. 9. 'fThe catch member 28 is provided witha spring 31',ivhich11ormal1y holds it partially across the opening 82 in theend 21 of the boss and through which opening the bolt 20 or tongue, as it might be termed. is adapted to extend; By this arrangement it will be seen thatat any time the member 20 is inserted' through'the opening into the boss thatthe catch 29",will engage it and prevent ent is its removal until after the bolt has been actuated and thecatchrelieved by the rotating 1 action of the barrel and the action of the cam 26.

In operation of the present invention, it

free to rotate within the steering column and that the bolt mechanism has been removed. When it is desired to lock the vehicle, the steering wheel is rotated until the holes 12 and 13 ingthe post and column respectively, are in register, after which the shackle is disposed around the steering column with thepin 14 extending through the reg1ster.-.

be removed from the steering column when 1 a suitable key has been inserted in the rey-. hole 33 and the barrel thereafter rotated While I have shown the. invention as be;

ing, provided with a lock of the structure specified and applied to only look the steering post and steering column, it will be understood that various changes might be made to insure that the locking parts may be securely held and conveniently separated,

and that the steering column and other al- I lied portions might be locked together it occasion required, without departing from the spirit of the'present invention.

Having thus described my invention, what 1 claim and desire to secure by Letters Pat- 1. An automobile lock including a pair of substantially semi-circular sections hingedly connected to each other atone end, a reduced shoulder formed upon the opposite end of one of the sections, a hook extending out from the shoulder, the opposite end of theother section having a tangential cut-out, a barrel casing tangentially disposed around the cut-outoif said opposite end of the other section and being integral therewith and having one, end flushwiththe. said opposite end of the other section, said casing endhaving a cou'nterbored part forming a wall to receive said reduced shoulder, the latter abutting the wall, said. wall having an opening to receive the hook, a lockin the casing toengage the hook, and means whereby said sections holdthe steering post against rotation. a

2. An automobile lock including-a pair of substantially semi-circular sections hingedly connected to each other at one end, theopposite .endof one section having a tangential cut-out, a barrel casing tangentially disposed around the cut-0ut ots'aid opposite e II QOf one section and being integral therewith and and means whereby the sections hold the having one end flush with the said opposite steering post against rotation.

end of said section, the opposite end of the In testimony whereof I have hereunto set other section being formed to snugly-and my hand in the presence of two subscribing 5 tightly engage the said end of the casing Witnesses.

and the said opposite end of the first named 7 section, a bolt directly borne by the said JOSILPH SCOTT oppositeend of the first named section and Witnesses: receivable in the casing and cut-out, a lock JAMES M. ABBETT,

10 in the casing and cut-out to engage the bolt, RUFUs H. KIMBALL. 

